Kick Off Your Sunday Shoes
by glitteryv0dka
Summary: MAJOR SPOIL ALERTS. After the events of Volume 2, Peter seems less and less like himself. Gamora wants to be there for him, but she's not sure how. On a supply run to Knowhere, she finds something from Peter's past she thinks will help him.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This isn't my first fanfiction, but it's my first for GOTG and for any Marvel movie at all. I really liked the first movie and when the second one came out, I fell in love with the movie and the characters. This is just a oneshot (or maybe a mini story, a couple chapters or something) about how I feel Gamora would attempt to handle Peter's grief after the events of Volume 2.**

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It was early Sunday morning when the Guardians landed on Knowhere for a supply run. It had been two weeks since Peter and the rest of the group encountered and defeated Ego, and he hadn't been the same. Everyone understood and had a silent agreement to let him alone unless he said he otherwise. He seemed content to be on his own, seldom leaving his room or even playing music at all. When weeks passed by without much words from Peter, the group became especially worried, but their lives and responsibilities still went on.

Rocket worked on the Milano, everyday offering to let Peter fly or help work on the remaining few repairs. Each day Peter declined, withdrawing more and more into himself, if that was even possible at this point. Rocket never pressed him for a helping hand or to explain their unspoken leader's prolonged mental absence, he just brushed it off with a sarcastic remark, which were getting less and less malicious each day Peter simply shrugged or bared an unconvincing smirk.

Groot was still too young to really offer much assistance, but seeing Peter, the head of their little family, so unhappy and emotionally vacant was scary and upsetting. He was used to people lightening up when he entered, since he was still so young and, let's face it, so damn adorable. He was like a toddler, the child of everyone else on the Milano. He still received more than enough attention from everyone else, still occasionally Peter as well. But it was always fleeting, and despite his blissful, childlike ignorance to most situations, Groot could tell clearly that something was off with Peter. Whenever he'd bring it up to Rocket, he'd tell Groot not to worry and put on the Zune, Yondu's parting gift to Peter, which he had given to Groot almost immediately after Yondu's funeral. Groot loved it, but he didn't love the way Peter would look at him when he padded around the Milano listening to it quietly.

Drax was even more oblivious than the young Flora Colossus, but he still noticed the sadness rippling off Peter. He often considered sitting down with him and talking over the grief he was feeling. He may not be as witty as Rocket or as adorable as the younger version of Groot, but he knew exactly how it feels to lose someone he loves. He wanted to be there for his dear friend. Ever since seeing Peter meet his father and the brief period of their bonding, Drax had felt as if he had an even deeper glimpse into Quill's life, a glimpse one couldn't gather just by living on the same, small ship for a year. Or even fighting in battle together. Peter let his guard down completely once they visited Ego's planet. His heart broke for Quill once they all figured out the truth behind Ego's motives. Now, Peter has lost his biological mother and biological father along with Yondu, a man Peter loved as if he was his real dad. Drax didn't like seeing his dear friend in pain, but he, like the rest of his friends, had no clue how to be there for Quill.

Gamora was another story. She worried nonstop about Peter ever since the battle against Ego. She didn't know what to do and how to be there for him, and the fact of that was killing her. He stayed cooped up in his room for days on end, she couldn't even remember the last time she'd seen him eat, let alone heard any music at all playing from his room. The only music throughout the ship came from Groot, who had been especially unsettled by Peter's absence.

She felt as if she was becoming sort of caring? No, that's not the word. Compassionate? Maybe. Maternal? Yeah, maternal. She took a special interest in Groot, holding him in her arms sweetly, wiping his tears when he was sad, letting him climb and play in her hair. Rocket called her mom sometimes, but it usually ended with her threatening his life and complete silence on everyone's part. Threats on Rocket's life aside, she felt as if the fight on Ego's planet changed her, and she wasn't sure whether or not it was for the better just yet. Sure, it's good to care for others and risk your life for them, but she would've risked her life for Drax, Rocket, Groot, and Peter long before meeting Ego, and she had. But now. Now, she felt as if he entire body hurt when she saw Peter's face. It was a rarity, ever since Yondu's funeral.

They had had a moment - she admitted her feelings for him and they subtly embraced, but that was all. Peter seemed distracted, and she didn't want to pressure him. Especially because she was never one to be that needy that she demanded an answer from anyone about their current situation, especially Peter Quill on their "Unspoken Thing," - whatever that even means. Something about a show called _Cheers_? Gamora wasn't entirely sure. She wasn't sure what _Cheers_ even was, but she definitely knew what it was like to have some feelings she didn't exactly feel too comfortable sharing. She cared for Peter. She cared for Peter more so than she'd ever cared for anybody else. She'd follow him into battle on any given day, but that's the only kind of care and consideration she had ever been taught. The instinct of compassion and care was never one anyone had ever attempted to instill within her. She felt those instincts developing the more time she spent with her friends on the Milano, the more time she spent with Peter especially. That was why she felt as if she desperately needed to find a way to bring him back to a fraction of the man he was before encountering Ego and losing Yondu.

When the Guardians arrived on Knowhere, Rocket was itching to get some new supplies for the Milano. He kept rambling about how a stop here was long overdue, but no one really met his grumbles with much of a response besides some nodding and general, "You're right,"s. The only one who didn't really seem to agree or disagree was Peter, who stepped out of his room to grab a cup of coffee and simply shrugged when Rocket brought up the main thruster seeming to act weaker since the crash weeks ago, before Ego. No one really seemed to respond to Peter, but it was obvious Rocket had had enough.

"Quill, look. This has gone on long enough." He growled as Quill attempted to head back down the hall to his bunk.

He stopped short at that, turning on his heel to look back at Rocket in what Gamora could only describe as disbelief. "You're kidding, right?" He said, his voice seemed far away and strained. Gamora couldn't tell exactly what he was thinking or feeling. All she really knew was that she didn't like the way he sounded at all.

Rocket stood as tall as a racoon he could muster, folding his arms defensively over his chest and shaking his head steadily, "No, I'm really not."

Peter's eyes looked pained and he licked his lips several times, looking almost lost, as if there was nothing to say. Gamora stared at him, trying to will him to look at her, but it was almost as if he didn't move. He was eyeing Rocket intensely, his stance unwavering, as if he was a statue. It reminded her of the time Drax went on about how his late wife never danced or even moved to any sort of music at all. It caused a heavy feeling in her chest to see Peter that way, so out of touch. This wasn't him, that's why when he finally shifted his gaze to Gamora after a piercing silence between the two of them, she had to drop her eyes. She looked down at her black lace up boots before eyeing Drax in the corner standing behind Peter, looking as concerned as she'd ever seen him.

"Rocket," she started after a moment, locking eyes with the racoon, "I'll go down to the market with you." She looked back at Peter then, his face was unreadable, and she didn't know what to do for him. But she figured taking the potential conflict Rocket would cause away from him would provide Peter with a sense of peace, no matter how small. Still, the way Peter looked at her when she suggested she go made her feel something different. His face looked haunted. Something in her told her not to go, but she trusted Drax could keep an eye on him.

Rocket stared at Peter for another long, tense moment before looking back at Gamora. He nodded after a moment, "Yeah, okay." He said as he picked up his small leather jacket off the couch and stalked down the hall to the door of the Milano. Groot was standing on the counter of the kitchen, where Gamora was standing, looking everywhere but Peter's eyes.

"I am Groot?" He asked softly as he stuck his arms out to Gamora, his eyes pleading with her. She was thankful she had something else to preoccupy her now. An excuse not to really acknowledge Peter. She padded across the kitchen, "Come on, Groot." she said softly, sticking her hand out flat for him to step onto. She lifted him onto her shoulder where he grabbed ahold of her dark and pink locks and started playing with them as she attempted to follow Rocket out of the Milano.

"Gamora, wait." Peter started, his voice almost cracking as he took a step towards her.

She stopped, but didn't turn around.

She turned her head slowly, making sure Groot wouldn't lose his footing on her shoulder due to her swift movements. She eyed Peter up and down, but he didn't say anything else.

His eyes were asking her to stay, and she knew that. She knew that look, but she wasn't going to. Drax had gone on and on about how he thought he could get through to him, he just needed a chance. So, instead of saying anything to Peter, she shifted her gaze to the destroyer behind Peter, eyeing the two of them curiously. She raised an eyebrow at him and he simply nodded. She felt the curves of her lips twitch, a small feeling of relief washing through her mind. Maybe this will help.

Peter didn't say anything else, he just stared at her painfully, silently asking her to stay. She looked at him once more, taking a deep breath, willing her words to come out steadily. "I'm going to help Groot get supplies," she stated simply, turning on her heel, grabbing her leather messenger bag and knife holster and walking briskly out of the ship to meet Rocket.

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 **A/N: I decided to make this a few chapters instead of just a super long oneshot. I'm not entirely sure how to write the characters, but I hope I'm doing them justice. Let me know what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I know it's taken some time to put up the next chapter, but I think this is a good way to take the story. Since I decided it wouldn't a one shot, I feel better about things being drawn out a little bit more than before. I'm going to keep the chapters at about a three page length. I hope you guys enjoy this one! Let me know with a review!**

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Gamora felt sluggish as she trudged down the muddy road to Knowhere's main marketplace. Rocket was walking beside her, but he seemed to carry himself with more purpose than she, but not much more. She knew for a fact she looked defeated. She felt defeated. Moreso than the last time they landed on Knowhere when Nebula nearly killed her.

 _Nebula._ That was a whole other situation Gamora was afraid to let herself think about. She felt as if the last few weeks, Peter and his father, Nebula and her revelation, Peter and their "unspoken thing," and Nebula's dangerous departure had taken a major toll on her. She attempted to bottle all of it up. She had to. She failed Nebula when they were kids. She was so wrapped up in staying alive that she never considered the toll Thanos' torture had on her sister. She had failed her sister in a major way. She knew if she let her feelings for Peter and her guilt for letting Nebula leave again out, then they'd eat her alive and she'd fail another family. The Guardians were her family now, and they needed someone strong and capable more than ever.

Peter was the rock of the group for sure. He made everybody smile, despite her attempts to diminish his flirting and Rocket's constant bickering with him. Peter was the reason they came together in the first place. She shook her head, palming her forehead sharply as she tried to will her painful thoughts away. Peter didn't need to deal with her issues with Nebula at all, but especially not right now.

"Aye, Green Giant. What's eatin ya?" Rocket stopped short, turning slightly to eye the last Zen-Whoberis woman with caution. Whether he was staring at her with concern or suspicion, Gamora didn't know. She wondered if he made sure no one could tell. She tilted her head at him though, wondering what the term "eating ya" actually meant. She considered her expression and the way she was dragging behind him. It was unlike her to fall behind and be sulking, so she deducted it meant he wanted to know what was bothering her so much.

She simply shrugged, "I just didn't get much sleep last night," she mumbled, looking around the trees along the side of the road. Essentially anywhere but Rocket.

He tilted his head at her, "Uh huh." His words were drawn out, a tone that was riddled with dissatisfaction from her answer.

"That not good enough for you?" She countered, lifting Groot off her shoulder delicately and handing him to Rocket, eyeing him with irritation.

He put both hands up in defense before taking Groot and letting him climb into his jacket pocket. He opened his mouth a couple times to say something, each time he'd close it and throw her a thoughtful look. "It's just," he scratched the back of his head, "I know you're worried about Quill. We all are," he was scratching the back of his head awkwardly again, as if he wanted to say more, but didn't know what else to express.

She looked at him for a long moment, sighing deeply to break the silence and nodding at the raccoon.

She decided to settle on "Yeah," nodding once more, her eyes leaving Rocket's and looking off down the road. The sudden fear of a semi-serious conversation brewing between her and Rocket giving her the confidence to refocus all her energy on the supply run, "Let's just head into town and get what we need." She muttered softly, brushing past Rocket, ignoring the questioning look he gave her.

"Gamora!" He called wholeheartedly after her as she walked down the road.

She slowed down ever so slightly, but didn't fully stop or turn her head at all. "What?" She basically snapped.

She didn't have to look at Rocket to know he was scratching his face quickly, "You could've stayed with Quill, uh, if you wanted." He mumbled awkwardly. She could tell he wasn't sure what to say. None of her friends ever made any statements (to her directly, at least) about her "unspoken thing" with Peter. She was completely content never having to discuss whatever relationship she has with him with a talking woodland beast, a metaphorically challenged destroyer, or a toddler sized talking tree. They respected her need to keep things private and that talking wasn't her strong suit. They all did, except sometimes not Peter.

Peter really made an effort to push her from her emotional comfort zone, just as she's pushed him from his own.

 _Peter and Gamora were sitting in a dingy old bar on Xandar, just after killing Ronan and saving the Galaxy. Rocket was out finding Groot a nice planting pot for him to spend his early plant days in. Drax had headed to a temple at the edge of the city, requesting privacy to mourn his late daughter and wife after helping to permanently stop their murderer. Gamora, though she'd never admit it, was rather depressed her sister didn't turn on Ronan and Thanos to help her and her new friends save the galaxy. She felt like she should hate her sister, after all, Peter was right. She was a super villain. She agreed with the guardians, Nebula was insane and almost assisted in murdering every single person in the galaxy for a man that kidnapped them, tortured them, and made them into unfeeling, detached murder machines._

" _Gamora, you alright?" He asked between sips of his oddly colored drink._

 _She blinked several times, bringing her eyes to the half human's concerned ones. "Yeah, yeah. I'm good." Her voice faltered a little bit, which she cursed herself for, especially since Peter seemed to notice._

 _He leaned forward, attempting to put his hand over her's supportively. She stiffened and yanked her hand off the bar, looking away to avoid seeing the twinge of hurt dance across his eyes. He took a deep breath, taking another sip, "Yeah, well you don't seem fine."_

 _She took a deep breath, shaking her head halfheartedly, "I mean, they were the closest thing I had to a family."_

 _She thought Peter would scoff or make a douchey joke, but he simply nodded. He was a little stiff in his movements, but it was still a nod. "They weren't your family though,"_

 _She nodded in turn, sipping her basically full beverage. She considered his simple reply, offering a shrug before continuing, "No, I know. I just grew up there. Nebula's practically my actual sister. I barely remember my real family. I never really gave it much thought until…" her voice trailed off a little bit. She took a deep breath, not sure how to finish that statement. She took another sip, shrugging again._

" _Until?" Peter pressed on, but his tone was gentle. She wasn't used to expressing herself, but talking to Quill seemed easy._

" _I guess I found something closer to what I envisioned a family to really be like," She said after a heavy breath._

 _Peter tilted his head at her, giving her a look like no one's ever given her before. Something within her became shaky when Peter looked at her the way he was right then. His face didn't express sympathy, no. Pity was unbecoming, something she detested. Anyone that had ever heard the name Gamora knew pitying her was a death wish. That look was one of empathy, understanding, admiration. No one had ever looked at her with any of those things. His eyes searching her's, giving her some weird sense of security, something she's never felt before. That look made her knees feel slightly weaker. She was grateful they were already sitting down, so he wouldn't this new feeling brewing within her._

 _After a long moment a silence, the only sound were the other patrons in the bar chatting and the radio in the corner humming some Kree song softly, Gamora had to rip her focus from Peter's hand held supportively over hers. She removed her hand out from under his, ignoring the fact that it took a lot for her to pull away. A great feeling of relief washed over her once she saw Peter didn't seem hurt by her pulling away this time._

 _He simply smiled at her, "I'm so glad I've found you all as well." Peter stated, his eyes crinkling as a small smiled formed._

 _She felt herself biting her lip, attempting to will the smile forming on her face at the sight of his. "I was wrong about you," she started._

 _Peter gave her a questioning look, "What do you mean?"_

 _She raised and lowered one shoulder, "When I said you had no honor or loyalty. I was wrong." She admitted once more, dropping her eyes to her hands in her lap. Watching Peter's reaction to her statement made her happy, but a different kind of happy. A kind she hadn't felt before and couldn't really explain to herself. His face lit up in a sincere way, his features softening around the edges and a newer light within his eyes appeared._

" _That means a lot to me. Thank you, Gamora." He said softly, leaning forward and rubbing his hand up and down her upper arm softly. It felt nice, supportive, new._

"Mora? Gamora!" Rocket asked again, waving his small furry arms in the air in front of her. She'd been staring off into space for a few long moments, thinking about one of those first real moments with Peter. Just her and Peter.

"What? Yeah, what?" She snapped, blinking several times, willing away the heavy feeling within her chest.

Rocket took a step back, raising his hands defensively at her aggressive tone. "Just checking…" He took a deep breath, "Are you okay?"

She ran her hand through her hair, biting her lip nervously. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Rocket took a deep breath once more, "Don't mistake me for being some sensitive dumbass, but," He scratched the top of his head for a moment, "Quill lost Yondu, and you kinda lost Nebula. Not in the same way, but still."

"I am Groot," Groot stated matter-of-factly while scratching his chin.

Rocket pointed at him, nodding quickly. "He's right. You don't have to be totally okay if you're not."

Gamora narrowed her eyes at the two of them, shrugging her shoulders. "I'm fine." She felt like she sounded super robotic and rehearsed. Super fake, and she figured the two of them noticed. Well, at least Rocket noticed. He raised an eyebrow at her, but looked as if he was going to let her brushing off his concern slide.

Before he could say anything else to her, she spun on her heel, "Let's just get to the market and restock." She grumbled over her shoulder, stalking down the dirt road ahead of Rocket and Groot, heading into town.

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 **A/N: How was that? Was the flashback a good touch? I thought it was nice, it showed what all happened between the end of the fight against Ronan and the very end of the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie.** **I hope it worked out well, let me know with a review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry for the late updates, I've been in the process of moving. I've been trying to get into the groove of things, and it's been hard to find time to write as well as I'd like. This chapter's going to be four to five chapters long. It'll be more like a mini series for GOTG. I'm not sure if I'll be any good at a long term story for this movie. If you like this mini series/story thing, let me know!**

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"Okay," Gamora muttered into her communications device, holding her hand to her ear piece to hear better over the crowd's chatter around her, "Rocket," she continued. "I have all the knife cleaning supplies and sharpening tools Drax and I needed." She moved a some of the items in her leather tote bag around, confirming she had everything Rocket asked her to get. She smirked at the protein plant soil at the bottom of the bag. "I also have Groot's new dietary supplements."

"I am Groot!" Groot protested in the background of the call.

"No Groot, you can't keep living on candy. You're getting bigger now and fat trees sound disgustingly huge." Rocket shot back. Gamora bit back a chuckle. Rocket seemed very rude and disrespectful in character, but he was incredibly caring of Groot. That fact always made her smile, especially when she saw Rocket's compassionate side come out for the tiny plant. "How are things are your end?" She asked as she closed the bag once more, looking over the shorter people in the crowd to see if she could spot Rocket at any kiosk stands.

"Uh, I can't find the transmitting converters I need to repair the mainframe of the Milano. I need some more time." Rocket mumbled after a moment. Gamora didn't have to be with him to know he was rifling through a bin of random ship materials and tools, hoping to find a makeshift solution for the Milano's problem.

She nodded to herself before answering, "Let me know when you're done. I'm going to look around to see if there's anything we could've forgotten."

"Yeah," Rocket chuckled, "Get some cleaning stuff while you're at it. Drax put some kinda Kree cake in the oven the other day and now it's all green and smells like someone lit shit on fire."

Gamora scoffed, "I'm not cleaning the oven for you idiots."

"I am Groot?" She heard the now-toddler-sized Flora Colossus asked, with hints of uncertainty and potential hurt in his youthful tone.

She rolled her eyes to herself, despite cracking a smirk. "No, Groot. You're not an idiot."

She heard his soft, suddenly happy grunt in the background of the communication device, indicating he wasn't hurt by her statement.

Her smirk evaporated when Rocket started mumbling about how she was going to end up cleaning the oven anyways, like she always does.

"Rocket." Her tone was a halfhearted warning, not enough to cause anymore of a ryft in the group, but enough to show Rocket she wasn't going to clean up after him this time.

"Fine, fine." Rocket gave in quickly. "But get the supplies anyway, someone'll clean it."

"Okay, let me know when you're done, or if you need any help."

"Will do." the line clicked, leaving Gamora alone with her thoughts.

She felt herself release a sigh, running a hand through her hair. If Peter was here with them, he'd know exactly where to find what Rocket needed, and he'd be able to negotiate without a weapon, unlike Rocket and Gamora herself. Sure, they had gotten better about communicating their feelings on the unfairness of vendor's prices with words and not tasers, guns, or knives. She found herself biting her lip to hide a small smile at the thought of Peter telling her he was proud that she didn't have to threaten anyone to get the supplies Rocket asked her to pick up. She willed away any negative feelings entering her mind as she pulled out her communications device once more, taping the transparent screen impatiently before it lit up, allowing her to access Knowhere's marketplace directory. She began looking for the spaceship cleaning supplies. She scrolled through the directory absentmindedly, stopping short and scrolling back up to reread a vendor's name she must've gotten wrong.

She'd never seen anything like what she thought she just saw. She moved through the pages quickly, looking for the name that stuck out so much to her.

Terran Entertainment.

Terra? As in Earth? Peter's home? Gamora clicked on the vendor's page, finding the map that'll direct her to the stand. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't curious as to what other kinds of cultural paraphernalia Peter's planet has to offer. He left it so long ago, with no intention of going back, but he often spoke out the entertainment aspects of his planet. Gamora decided to head over to the vendor's stand, maybe she'll be able to find something to get Peter out of his rutt.

The man at the stand was a Watcher, much to Gamora's both fascination and mild disappointment. She's never met a Watcher before, but she's heard much about their infinite wisdom and knowledge. She was sure they knew enough about Terra to answer all the questions she could possibly have. However, part of her wanted to meet someone else from Terra.

The Watcher tilted his head at her as she dug through bins, often leaning back with a puzzled look at random, obsolete electronic objects being sold.

"Looking for anything in particular?" He asked after a couple minutes of watching her loot through his various bins.

Gamora looked up sharply, half expecting the man to be impatient with her lack of purchases, but his eyes were just curious.

She scratched the back of her head as she laid down something called a 'Universal Remote.' "I'm not sure actually." She mumbled reluctantly. She didn't like being unsure. It also bothered her that she didn't know what to get Peter to make him feel better. She was so unfamiliar with Terran customs, and it's not like Peter's in the emotional state to answer any of her complex questions about it.

He tilted his head at her, "Do you have an idea of what you'd like?"

She nodded after a second, "I have a-" she took a deep breath, unsure of what to call Peter exactly. "-A companion," she continued, "who's been distressed lately. He's from Terra, and I thought there'd be something here to lift his spirits."

The Watcher raised both his eyes as he crossed his arms over his chest, eventually giving an understanding nod. "I didn't know the daughter of Thanos was keeping close companions." She felt herself tense up despite the fact that his tone wasn't hostile at all, much to Gamora's surprise. He seemed a little curious, but no negative emotions were shown through his speech or expression.

"I'm not that person anymore," She muttered, attempting to relaxing her stance to prove the point.

He uncrossed his arms, nodding once more. He seemed to be attempting to mirror her stance as well. She kept her body seemingly relaxed, but she still felt her jaw tensing and relaxing every few seconds, unsure of the situation despite the tension already being mostly diffused.

"Well, new-and-improved Gamora, what does your companion like?"

She felt herself smirk, she could recite the things Peter loves in her sleep. "Older music. Catchy, delightful tunes mostly." She rubbed her chin for a moment, trying to remember if there was anything else. "Some famous woman named Alyssa Milano, magic boats and David Hasselhoff-" she snapped her fingers after a moment, "A talking car! David Hasselhoff had a talking car." She nodded at the Watcher, whose eyebrow was raised at her, an impressed smirk forming over his expressions.

"Well I have some cassettes of pop music from Terra's late twentieth century."

He uncrossed his arms and gestured to a large metal bin beside him. Gamora looked around him, eyes widening at the overflowing tub of cassettes she seemed to have missed completely.

She took a step forward, but stopped short when she remembered that Ego broke Peter's walkman. "Do you have a walkman cassette player?"

The Watcher rubbed the top of his bald head for a moment, before turning on his heel and opening a metal drawer that was full of small devices that almost look like communicators sold on Knowhere, but about twenty years ago. She raised an eyebrow while he was rifling, but looked back down at the various cassettes. If he finds a Walkman, she might as well pick up some new cassettes for Peter.

Gamora pulled out some that seemed interesting, but none of the music groups rang any bells for her, which was stressful considering how much she listened to Peter talk about all kinds of music he and his mother used to listen to. She leaned forward, looking deeper into that bin, determined to find the perfect cassette to match the Walkman. She found one with a familiar name towards the bottom, Kenny Loggins.

"Footloose?" She asked out loud after a moment, that name was very familiar.

"That's that movie with the breakfast food hero guy Quill told us all about awhile back." Rocket muttered as he strolled up behind her, eyeing her curiously. Groot's arms were extended into vines that held a medium sized wire basket full of metal parts with frayed wires sticking out of certain ones.

"I am Groot!" Groot chimed.

Rocket pointed at Groot on his shoulder, moving his head quickly to show Gamora Groot's face. "He's right, I think."

She pointed at Groot as well, "Kevin Bacon." She and Rocket repeated in unison.

"Well," the Watcher started as he returned to Gamora's full line of sight, "I don't have any Walkman players left up front. I'll check the back to see if I kept any in storage for you all though. But I see you're interested in Footloose. It's a classic on Terra."

Rocket tilted his head at Gamora, unsure of the exact reason she was heckling with a Watcher over classic cliche movies from Terra. His small paw gripped Gamora's wrist, pulling her lightly aside to speak in a semi private manner.

She rolled her eyes ay Rocket's weak, but certain grip. She used her free hand to hold up a finger to the Watcher, giving him a polite, apologetic smile. "Just give us a minute, please." She even used the proper speaking etiquette Peter had been bugging her about when it came to vendors. Yeah, he'd be proud.

"What is it, Rocket?" She whispered as she bent down slightly, meeting his eyes.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, narrowing his eyes.

She rolled her eyes at him, but didn't want to admit to avidly seeking out things to make Peter smile. "Our family is in tatters because of Peter's emotional state. I thought something from his home would remind him of the goodness of his childhood before his mother's death and the Ravagers."

Rocket nodded slowly, "It's okay if you're into Quil, you know?"

She rolled her eyes once more. "I'm not into-" she let out a deep breath, shaking her head at her teammate, "I just want things back to normal, same as you two."

Groot nodded quickly, a sad smile on his little face. He leaned forward off of Rocket's shoulder, extending his twig arms towards Gamora. "I am Groot?"  
Gamora flashed a small smile at the miniature Flora Colossus. "Yes Groot, you can help me pick out a gift for Peter."

Rocket nodded quickly, taking a step toward her, letting Groot climb into her arms. She placed him on her shoulder.

Rocket took a deep breath after a moment, "All I'm saying is that if you have the hots for Quill, that's okay." He crossed his arms and tilted his head, "It's gross as shit, but it's okay."

She rolled her eyes, "I'm just trying to help us all get back to normal."

Rocket rolled his eyes, "Uh huh, okay." He eyed the large bag full of supplies in her arms. "Did you get the cleaning supplies?"

She shook her head, "I was on the way, but I found this booth."

Rocket nodded, "Give me the bag. I'll carry it and get the cleaning supplies."

She smiled gratefully at Rocket, handing him the bag. "Thank you."

He rolled his eyes, but nodded slowly regardless. "Yeah, yeah." He turned and began to walk away, "You're cleaning up the kitchen then!" He yelled over his shoulder as he marched back into the crowd, heading towards the ship cleaning supplies.

She smirked at the raccoon walking away. She turned around quickly, careful not to let Groot lose his balance and fall off her shoulder.

"I am Groot." He muttered as she walked back towards the Terran Entertainment booth.

She turned her head slowly, raising an eyebrow at him. "Who says I love Peter?"

"I am Groot." He said as he pointed behind them.

"You shouldn't listen to Rocket all the time." She murmured as she walked picked up the Footloose cassette and looked around the display table for anything else.

"I am Groot." He pointed towards a bigger electronic device in the corner.

She tilted her head at the table, unsure of what the device was. Peter never had anything like that. "Digital Video Disc?"

"It's a portable DVD player." The Watcher answered as he walked back up to the front of his booth.

"I am Groot?" Groot asked from Gamora's shoulder, grabbed a lock of her hair as he leaned forward, eyeing the devices curiously.

The Watcher shook his head, "No, it's not like a cassette. It was actually created years after the debut of the cassette and the walkman."

Gamora nodded slowly, "So what does it do?"

"It plays movies that are embedded into the DVD's you own."

"We don't have any." She replied.

He tilted his head at her, "Your Terran companion doesn't have any?"  
She rubbed the back of her head, "My Terran companion left Terra long before these existed."

He nodded slowly before pulling the DVD player out of the display case, placing it in front of Gamora and Groot.

"You want that Footloose tape?" He asked, eyeing the Kenny Loggins cassette between her fingers.

She nodded quickly, scolding herself inwardly for coming off really excited about getting Peter a present. Groot was naive, obviously. He was the tree equivalent of a toddler after all, but he was starting to notice how Peter's depression affects her. All the other guardians were starting to notice, besides Peter.

He pulled out a bigger, bright yellow and grey device, a "Walkman Sport," and placed it next to the DVD portable player.

Gamora tilted her head at it, nodding quickly as a smile began to play against her lips. "We'll take that."

"I am Groot?" He asked as he tugged on her hair lightly, pointing at the portable DVD player.

Gamora tilted her head at the device, looking back up at the Watcher. "This plays images if you have the disc for it?"

The Watcher nodded quickly, "I have Footloose, if that's what you both are wondering."

She bit back a smile, "We'll take it."

He smirked at her and Groot, turning on his heel and grabbing it out of a bin.

"I'm sure your Terran companion will love all this." He offered as he grabbed a bag, placing the devices inside gently.

She smiled at him, handing him the money that matched the prices.

He stuck his hand out, waving the money away. "No, no. This time's on the house."

She tilted her head at him, shaking her head. "No, I should pay."

He shook his head, "I don't need it. But I will accept favors."

She tilted her head as she grabbed the bag from his hands, "Such as?"

He scratched the back of his head as he spoke, "The Gamora I heard stories about three years ago wouldn't ever be here, purchasing outdated trinkets for anyone. You said you were new and improved, and I believe you. I know your Terran companion does as well. Keep doing this, and the Guardians of the Galaxy won't have to pay for cassettes, DVDs, or anything else you can think of."

She wanted to fight it, but she couldn't help but smile. No one had ever put her development into words in that way before. It made her happy to know some people have noted and accept her changing for the better.

"I'll keep that in mind." She gave him a smile as she collected her items and walked back towards Rocket and the Milano.

 **A/N: I'm sorry for the long wait for an update, but I hope I did this portion of the story justice. Let me know what you think! There will be more Peter in the next chapters. Thank you!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey!** **I'm happy to be back with this. I'm just more stressed that my life is so hectic I can only update late at night. This chapter is more angsty and comforting, so if you're into that yay! Let me know what you think. I personally liked it a lot.**

When they got back to the Milano, Peter was nowhere in sight.

Drax, however, was sitting in the kitchen, some Astran beer in one hand, while the other was holding the side of his face up haphazardly.

Rocket handed the bags to Gamora, who laid them down on the counter before placing Groot by the cabinets to get a bowl for his supplements.

"Whoa, what's up with you?" Rocket asked as he opened Groot's supplements, preparing the baby tree's dinner.

Gamora walked towards the counter Drax was perched on, leaning against it as she eyed Drax concernedly. "How'd it go with Peter?" She asked after Drax didn't answer Rocket.

Drax looked up at that point, his eyes a little puffy. Gamora immediately approached him, examining him closely. "Was there an altercation?" She asked urgently.

Rocket whipped around from tending to Groot, eyeing Drax before running down the hall of the Milano. "Quill! Come out here!" He yelled a couple times from the halls and bunks of the Milano. After a few moments, Gamora heard him mutter some profanity and stalk back into the kitchen area.

"Where the Hell did he go?" Rocket barked, his stance emitting the nervous energy Gamora herself was beginning to feel.

She gently took Drax's chin in her hand, attempting to tilt his head to see if his eyes were swollen from bruising, or any evidence that a fight broke out between Peter and him.

Drax shrugged her off lightly after a second, "No. There was no physical altercation. But Quill fled the ship." He said as he dropped his head.

Gamora crossed her arms, leaning back against the counter. "What happened?" She attempted, trying to keep her voice even. Her nails were digging harshly into her forearms as she awaited an answer from Drax.

He shook his head, taking a deep breath before sitting up straight and looking between Gamora and Rocket. "I attempted to speak with him about shared feelings of grief. I too have lost my family, and often took them for granted when they were around."

Rocket put his hand up, "Hold the phone. Did you say it exactly like that?"

Drax looked at him, his expression puzzled. Gamora rolled her eyes at the thought of Drax trying to figure out what phone Rocket meant. He didn't ask that question though, despite the two team members figuring that's what was weighing in his mind at that moment.

Drax raised and lowered one shoulder before looking to Rocket, "Well, yes."

Gamora shook her head, "Udonta and Peter's relationship was extremely complex. It wasn't a traditional family." She attempted to keep her voice calm, banking on the fact that she was the collected and cool member of the team.

"I am Groot?" The tiny tree cut off their conversation, standing on the counter's corner, looking around the room in a confused manner.

Rocket's ears twitched as he listened to Groot. "Yeah, where is Mantis?" He asked, leaning forward to get a peak down the hall he just returned from.

"She left with Peter. He grew angry with me when I implied he had a lack of appreciation for Yondu, and an argument broke out between us."

Rocket folded his arms as he jumped up on the counter, sitting next to Groot and facing the taller two team members left. "To be fair, he didn't appreciate Yondu. But in his defense, up until about an hour before he died, we all assumed he abducted Quill for shits and giggles."

Drax nodded slowly, "I was getting to that, and why would he kidnap an eight year old for shits an-"

Gamora threw her hands up, growing impatient. "It's just an expression!" She took a deep breath, dropping her head when she saw the way Rocket and Drax were gazing at her after the outburst. She took a deep breath, rubbing her fingers against her temples. "Why did Mantis leave with Peter?"

Drax shrugged one shoulder, "She said she could provide emotional services to Quill, like she had done with Ego. Also, she offered to give him some insight on Ego's past. I guess it was a way to give Quill some closure. He took a pod and said to tell you guys he'd be back in a few days."

Gamora shook her head, trying to suppress the feelings boiling in her gut at the fact that she couldn't seem to pinpoint. She was bothered that Peter left, but also bothered with the fact that he didn't tell her he was leaving, and he left with Mantis. She didn't even know why that fact was bothering her more than anything else. Mantis knew Peter personally, if she could help him recover emotionally, she should be glad for it. But something about those two in a pod together for days didn't sit right in her bones.

"Mora," Rocket asked skeptically, eyeing her with his ears back, indicating he was growing concerned.

She glanced up at him before switching her gaze back to Drax, "Did he say where he was going?"

Drax shrugged, "Just to clear his head."

She took a deep breath, running a shaky hand through her hair. It bothered her that she seemed to feel so unsteady at the fact that Peter had just up and left. She knew it wasn't because of her, and Peter had plenty of his own problems to tend to at the moment, but she couldn't help but feel abandoned.

They all are a team, and as dysfunctional as it can be, they're also a family. She couldn't tell if she was more saddened or angered at the fact that Peter didn't seem to get that, and just up and left.

No one really said anything else, and Gamora didn't feel like discussing it further, if she was being honest. She simply leaned against the counter, one hand placed on her forehead the only real indication of her distress.

After a few moments of tense, uncomfortable silence between the three of them, the only noise in the room their occasional heavy breaths and Groot splashing around in his water bowl, Drax looked across the counter to see the Walkman Sport Gamora brought back, sticking out of her large leather tote bag.

"Where did you get another musical device like Quill's?" He asked, pushing the stool back to stand up, approaching the bag of gifts.

Gamora, suddenly feeling withdrawn from her teammates, stepped in front of Drax quickly to gather up the items that split out of her bag in the hustle and panic that occurred when she and Rocket returned. "It's not th- It wasn't for P-" she took a deep breath, clutching the bag to her chest as if her life depended on it, looking up at Drax only to drop her glance with a guilty sigh, "It's nothing. I'm going to sort through the supplies in my bunk." She mumbled as she brushed past the three boys in the kitchen, quickening her pace and locking her bunk's door behind her.

She felt guilty for hiding her gift idea from Drax, especially when she saw the mild hurt dance across his features when he attempted to look into her bag. She just didn't know what she was feeling, but she was feeling something heavy growing in her chest, almost as if a pressure was bearing weight down on her shoulders.

She tossed the bag gently onto her bunk, but found herself sinking down with her back to the foot of her bed, hugging her knees to her chest as she sat there on the cool metal floor, hunching over as she rocked back and forth, like a child would when they were anxious. She didn't like this feeling, the feeling of not being able to help Peter. She glanced over her shoulder several times, the sight of the Terran gifts she obtained for him causing a sense of irritation to bubble over into anger. She shook her head violently, groaning softly to herself. She was foolish to think material things would help Peter. She was foolish to think her efforts would help Peter at all. She was Gamora, after all. The daughter of Thanos. A walking, talking weapon. The most dangerous woman in the Galaxy. She was foolish to think all of that would change because of two decent deeds and a room on a ship with people much more morally sound than she.

She dropped her head, holding it in her slender, strong hands as her fingers tangled themselves in her hair, tugging on it irritably every few moments. She didn't know what else to do. Peter was always the one to bring them together. She figured if he was down and out, then it was only fair she take on the burden he usually bares. But she couldn't do it, and the more she reflected on her efforts, the more idiotic she felt. After all, Peter left to ponder on his family with Mantis. Someone he barely knows.

She held her head in her hands for what felt like hours before there was a timid knock on her door. She pushed herself up halfway, reaching the door and unlocking it with ease. She sat back down, pushing herself behind the door's pathway, leaning her back against the wall.

"It's open." She muttered hoarsely, not even bothering to ask who it was. It could only be three people, and if she ignored them it wouldn't help anything.

Rocket pushed the door open, taking a deep breath as he glanced around the room.

"Hey," she mumbled from her spot on the floor. She had sat up more this time, but was closer to the wall, out of the way of her door. Her forearms were resting on her knees, and she was leaning forward, staring at the glow from the metal on her door. Pretending the way the light hit it was the most interesting thing to her.

"Uh, Hey." Rocket muttered as he approached her slowly, kicking the door shut behind him. He stopped in front of her, thinking about what to say.

"I, uh, remembered something I thought you'd like to know." He muttered as he reached into his pocket, pulling out a clear video communication device.

She looked up at him then, "What's it for?"

Rocket handed it to her, "I hooked it up to the pods when the Nova Corp gave us this ship a couple years back. I figured it would come in handy if we were ever under attack and had to use the pods to escape."

She examined it in her hands, looking up at Rocket after a moment. "You installed video communication in the pods?"

He nodded, "We just have to switch it to the channel number that matches the pod number Quill took, and he'll get a signal we're trying to reach out to him."

"Does it work?" Gamora asked after a moment of examining the device once more. The technology was still relatively new and useful, and she wasn't doubting Rocket's technological intellect, she just couldn't remember him ever working on this project.

He raised and lowered one shoulder. "I could always get it working from the pod, but the hand helps-" he motioned to the one in her hand. "-came back a little fuzzy with the signal. But I figured it's worth a shot."

She looked at up him and gave him a small, grateful smile. She tapped the screen twice, turning it on. She dialed the number of the missing pod, and she swore her heart stopped beating as it rang and rang. The humming was light and soothing, but became more nerve wracking the longer it buzzed without any answer on the other side. After a moment of that damned buzzing, the screen just showed a mirrored image of her clearly disappointed face, stating simply, "Pod #811578 is unable to receive face to face messages at this time."

She took a deep breath, pulling out the glass stand connected to the device, sitting it in front of her.

Rocket scratched the back of his head awkwardly, feeling guilty and uncomfortable about the communication idea falling through. He didn't know what else he could do for Gamora, but something in the wide, gaping hole where his heart should be made him want to stay and keep her company. Deep down, he figured that's what she really wanted anyway. The Gods know, even though he'd never admit it, Rocket wanted some company too.

"Can I sit?" He asked after a moment.

When she looked at up him, his whiskers where flicking back and forth, as if he was actually worried. She shot her gaze back to her green palms, nodding quickly and sliding over a little bit. Rocket sat down beside her, not close enough that they were touching, but close enough to have a quiet conversation.

He pointed to the device sitting up on its stand in front of them. "There's a setting-" he picked it up and fiddled with it as he spoke, "-where we can leave the camera open, so if Quill sees the signal and picks up, he'll know it's us."

She nodded absentmindedly, spinning a silver ring on her index finger quickly as he sat the device back in front of the them. The only view it provided was the awkward sitting arrangement on Gamora's floor.

They sat in silence for awhile, just listening to the hum of the airflow as it left the vent above them. Gamora and Rocket never really had real moments with one another, but in her defense, the two of them seldom had real moments with anyone.

Rocket was the first to speak, "It was really decent of you to hunt down a Terran shop to get Quill's favorite stuff."

Gamora just shrugged, "I guess."

He turned his head slightly to look at her, "You guess?" He scoffed, "You found a Walkman, something his sappy butt can't live without. It was a good idea, don't pretend it wasn't."

She shrugged, finally letting out a sigh and looking at him, "But it didn't help things. And Groot assisted me just to come home to find Peter has left."

Rocket shrugged, trying to cover his thinly veiled concern for the tiny plant. "Groot's in that stage where everything is super confusing. He probably doesn't even realize what happened. Drax was putting him to bed when I came back here."

Gamora tilted her head at Rocket before facing the wall once more. "Sometimes I wonder if it's easier for Groot at this age, especially now."

Rocket, though interested in her thought, turned his head to face ahead of him as well, his position on the ground basically the same as Gamora's. "What do ya mean?"

She shrugged one shoulder, "He seems so confounded, but as if he's working on it all. Sometimes I wonder if he wants us to slow down. Maybe he's thinking, I'm down here, just having to watch everything unfold with no control. So everybody just slow down while I try to catch up from down here." Her voice got a little more hoarse as she talked, causing Rocket to sigh deeply.

Something tells him she's not talking about Groot completely.

He turned his head to face her once more, tilting it worriedly as he watched her, not saying anything.

She turned her head to face him as well, blinking fiercely before muttering, "I wish there was a way I could've seen this coming."

He shook his head, "I think it was shitty of Quill to leave right now, no matter whether or not we could've predicted it."

Gamora turned back to look in front of her, Rocket did the same. "He lost someone." She mumbled, but her heart didn't seem to be in his defense.

Rocket rolled his eyes, "Yeah well so did all of us." He huffed, "You don't see all of us picking one member of the group and jetting off to god knows where to sulk."

Rocket's words, while a little harsh, caused a warm feeling of relief to ease its way across her body. She wasn't going to tell Rocket she thought he was right, but she didn't know what else to say. She could feebly attempt to defend Peter, but she wasn't sure of her feelings on him leaving just yet. Plus, Rocket would know if she came to his defense and didn't mean it. She just settled on leaning back against the wall, resting her head against it and looking up at the dented, dull metal ceiling. "I guess you're right," she murmured.

(Okay, so maybe she'd admit Rocket was right)

"But Yondu was like a father figure, and Ego was his bloodline father. Both of them died in front of his eyes, I can see one needing some time to process that." (Come on, she's never going to fully go against Peter in his time of need)

Rocket shook his head, "We've all lost someone." His voice sounded small within that sentence. It made Gamora want to ask about his exchanges with Udonta while they were split up, but Rocket wasn't going to be open about them. If anything, it would just annoy him if she pestered.

She just sighed, nodding slowly. "That is true."

Rocket nodded quickly, "Yep, even you're psycho sister bailed, and you're still here trying to put the pieces back together."

Gamora would've smiled at that compliment, a rarity on Rocket's part, but she was still struggling internally about Peter's sudden departure, and the reminder of her now-much-much-more-complicated relationship with Nebula making her mind whip in a whirlwind of all different directions, none of them pleasant.

He looked over at her, noticing she seemed to be in her own tortured world. "Mora?" He pressed, his voice firm.

She blinked quickly, looking over at him. "Yeah, sorry. I just-"

"It's okay to feel betrayed."

She tilted her head at him, "Betrayed?"

He nodded, "I don't know the situation with Nebula, and we don't have to talk about it. But I know it stung you when she left. You're allowed to be bothered by that."

She opened her mouth to protest, but he cut her off, "And I am incredibly pissed Quill bailed like this. No one's going to fault you for being pissed too."

Was that the feeling? Betrayal? Anger?

She shook her head quickly, "Betrayed," she mumbled under her breath after a moment, shaking her head violently.

She let out a heavy sigh, "I'm bothered that Nebula left, but I wasn't a good sister back then. I was older than her and wasn't there like I should have been. I was selfish and am realizing that making my life about staying alive made an enemy out of my only real family under Thanos." She dropped her head, "But with Peter." She shook her head, surprised with herself with all the words and emotions just running wild in her mind and spilling out of her mouth, "I am feeling something so intensely that I do not know what it is." Her voice was more firm, almost angry.

Rocket nodded slowly, "Betrayal."

She nodded back, "Maybe, but I am not the best person when it comes to emotional support."

Rocket rolled his eyes, "Oh come on, we'll all had our fair share of shit hit the fan in our pasts!" He exclaimed, raising his paws in exasperation. "I was ripped apart by asshole scientists, Groot was wood chipped to death and rebirth by saving our sorry butts, Drax's family was murdered, your whole home was destroyed, and Peter's mother died." He shook his head, "If we can get through that, we can get through this. Him leaving just makes it harder back here."

Gamora found herself nodding, "I am angered at the fact that he left. I am beginning to realize that."

Rocket nodded, "And that's okay. Quill's idea was flawed."

Gamora shrugged, "As are the rest of us."

Rocket nodded quickly again, "Yeah, we are. But don't let that ruin your good actions."

She looked at him once more, growing puzzled.

"You went out of your way for Quill today, just like you did at Yondu's funeral. Don't let your past ruin the things you do in the present." He explained reassuringly, answering her silent question.

He put a paw on her shoulder for a moment, patting it in and awkward yet supportive way. "I'll leave the device with you, in case Quill ever calls." He pushed himself up, "If you need anything, I'll be outside working on the under side exterior of the ship."

She nodded, "Thank you, Rocket."

"Yeah, whatever." He mumbled over his shoulder as he trudged out of her room, shutting the door on the way.

She looked at the screen in front of her, picking up the device and clicking serval bottoms.

"Cannot Complete Call."

 _Tap. Tap. Tap._

"Cannot Complete Call."

 _Tap. Tap._

"Cannot Complete Call."

She grunted, getting incredibly frustrated as she shoved the tablet back onto its stand. "Why did you have to fucking leave?" She shouted in a voice she didn't recognize into the screen. Eyeing it as she blinked back tears before switching it off, leaving it on the floor as she crawled to bed. She'd give the device to Drax and Rocket tomorrow, let them try then.

About 150 miles outside of Knowhere's gravitational orbit, there was a brightly painted orange pod. Inside, Mantis was asleep on one half, while a conflicted Peter Quill sat on the other.

He hadn't noticed the manually installed screen when he entered the pod and left the Milano. He probably would have disabled it if he had. Although, part of him was grateful to Rocket for installing it, while the other part was feeling incredibly, well, shitty.

Gamora left her screen open throughout her conversation with Rocket, broadcasting it to Peter while he attempted to pilot the pod across the stars, getting further and further away from his team. Now, Peter was staring at the last image the screen in Gamora's room had projected: Her, sitting on the floor against the wall, wrapping further and further into herself like a small child. Gamora was crying, and the last thing she said weighed in Peter's chest, ripping the last remaining pieces of his heart into full on tatters.

 _"Why_ _did you have to fucking leave?"_


	5. Chapter 5

**up college and had to spend time doing a lot of work this year. So I had to take a step back from this and other stories. But I'm back now. I know it's been awhile, but I hope this chapter is all you guys hoped for from this. Also, I watched Infinity War, and it inspired me to get back to this story.**

It had been a day since Gamora had her heart-to-heart of sorts with Rocket. Since then, she had let some of her emotions come out in the form of work around the ship.

Drax was still worked up over his altercation that had cause Peter to leave the ship with Mantis the day before, so Rocket suggested they spend the day bar hopping across Knowhere. Gamora agreed to let them go off and watch Groot for the day, and probably most of the night, if their drinking would be anything like usual.

She was fine with it though. During breakfast earlier that day, she was finding it harder to keep herself calm whenever Peter was mentioned, which, as anyone would expect, as a lot.

 _Rocket got some milk from Kree out of their fridge, giving Gamora a small smile for knowing he'd be making cereal and already grabbing a bowl for him. She waved off his smallest attempt at gratitude because it's something he wouldn't have done if she wasn't upset and they hadn't of had their talk the night before. He rolled his eyes at her, but went back to making himself some breakfast._

 _Gamora had busied herself putting fertilizer supplements in Groot's water bowl. He made soft, excited sound when the water turned brown and happily jumped in. She smirked at him as some of the water splashed out and got on her hands. Once Groot seemed content to be on his own with his water bowl, she headed for the laundry area to grab a dish towel._

" _You haven't eaten," Rocket muttered as she passed him on her way to grab a towel._

" _And?" She retorted, walking back in his line of sight, drying off her hands._

" _We have bagels from that Terran place on Xander Quill likes. They're pretty good," He stopped short when he noticed her stiffen at the mention of his name, if only slightly._

" _Mora, I'm sure he's gonna be oka-"_

 _She put a hand up to him, "I'll take a bagel, but no talking about this anymore."_

 _Rocket rolled his eyes, "Oh no, no. Quill's already silent we can't have you falling through the cracks too."_

 _She rolled her eyes, tossing the towel on the counter in front of her, "Rocket," she took a deep breath, leaning against the kitchen counter, bringing her eyes to send him a softened glare, "I don't need to be emotional to be on this team. I'm the da-"_

" _The daughter of Thanos, we get it." He cut her off, pinching the bridge of her nose, "But didn't you come with us to be more than that?"_

 _His question definitely hit a nerve, but he did have a point. She dropped her head at that point, softening her gaze, "Yeah, I guess you're right."_

 _Rocket crossed his arms, nodding firmly, "I'm not gonna be your little therapist, but don't shut down because Quill's gone. He'll be back, and I intend to give him a bunch of shit for doing this crap, and I hope you will too."_

 _She took a bite of the bagel, nodding subtly at the raccoon._

 _He gave her a quick smirk, "Good. Drax is still pretty pissy about Quill bailing, so I'm gonna take him for a good old fashioned binge drink, you wanna come?"_

 _Gamora shook her head, "Nah. I'll stay with Groot and do some stuff here."_

 _He gave her a nod, "If he comes back before we do, kick his ass for me."_

 _She rolled my eyes, "I can do that myself."_

 _He smirked at her, but changed the subject then. "We'll be back later."_

 _She nodded, and turned back to Groot as they left._

They had been gone the better part of the day, and Gamora had intention of waiting up for her idiot teammates. It was already way past dark, and she had gotten a message from Rocket about an hour before.

" _Haven't hit every bar juust yet. B bak in morning."_

She had chuckled to herself a little when she read the message. Despite not yet hitting their ultimate goal while they're on Knowhere waiting for Peter, Rocket and Drax had become quite sloshed in the process.

If only they had this kind of focus during missions, she thought with an eye roll.

She had put Groot to bed around the time Rocket's text had come through. And after sharpening all her throwing knives and her favorite sword, cleaning the leftover Kree cake batter from the inside of the oven, and scrubbed her bunk and bathroom twice over. Gamora decided there was nothing left to do but shower, and hang around until the guys got back.

She started the shower and walked back into her room to grab something more comfortable to wear. She opened one of her drawers to find Peter's old ravager sweatshirt he had given her on a pitstop in Kree-Pama, one of the coldest planets they've been to.

 _Gamora leaned against the outer wall of the fuel station Peter and Rocket had gone into, tapping her foot impatiently. She was incredibly irritated with the two of them. Who the Hell doesn't check the ship's fuel gage. Now, they're stranded on the coldest damn planet in the galaxy, and one that Thanos' had most of his goons stationed on. To try and stay hidden, Gamora had refused to stay on the ship, thinking they'd recognize it and storm it if they could sense her inside, but she also refused to go into any shops, thinking that it would be harder to lead her friends to an escape if she was in a confined area, like a store or a bar._

 _Peter and Rocket had apologized several times, much to the whole team's surprise, and promised to only take an hour at max to get the spare fuel they needed. Then, she had reluctantly agreed._

 _She had tied up her hair to help conceal her signature magenta locks from any passerbys. Her usual long, leather coat had been ripped to shreds in a previous mission on Vvex. So here she was, standing in the snow in a leather black jumpsuit made for battle in a desert, freezing her ass off and watching Kree slaves carry fuel tanks around the back of the building. She tried to keep her eyes low, but she heard panicked muttering from a couple a few hundred feet behind her._

" _Is that?" One muttered, sounding terrified._

" _I think so."_

" _Then we have to call Ebony. And be discrete about it."_

 _Gamora stiffened at the name, Ebony was about as merciless as she was, back in the day. She needed to end this and quickly, so Peter and Rocket would be safe. She crept around the corner, pulling out her sword as she followed them around the building._

 _The slaves were trudging through the snow, trying to move faster than normal, causing them to slip and stumble to the back door of the station._

 _She was turning around the corner, drawing back her sword as the slaves searched their pockets for the keys. She took several swift steps forward, preparing to lunge, only for her wrist to be caught by Peter's hand._

" _What are you doing?" Peter hissed, panic in his eyes._

 _The slaves turned around at that moment, just in time for Peter to yank Gamora back and around the corner._

" _What happened?" He asked, looking over her face and arms for some kind of evidence of physical harm to her. His hands went to the sides of her face, looking to turn it to see the side of her face she had turned away from him._

 _She shook her head violently. "I'm okay. They just recognized me."_

 _He turned around to see if the slaves had noticed or followed them. He turned back to her then, confused. "I don't understand, isn't half your population still alive?"_

 _She raised her arms to show the silver etchings courtesy of Thanos' 'improvements.' "Yeah, but no one else has these."_

 _Peter held her arm in his hands, running his fingers gently over the raised metal scars within her skins, making her stronger than most other life forms in the galaxy. "You're freezing." He stated, sounding concerned as he stepped back and took off his leather jacket._

 _He pulled his thick, crew neck long sleeve shirt over his head, revealing a simple Terran disco t-shirt._

" _Here. Take it," Peter offered firmly as he handed her the shirt._

 _She gave him a pointed look before taking it from him and slipping it over her head. It was still warm from being on him, and though she'd never admit it, Gamora was grateful._

" _This way they can't see your modifications and you won't freeze your ass off," He murmured with a smirk._

She rolled her eyes at the memory, slamming her drawer shut and rummaging through the others in hopes of finding something else more comfortable to wait around in.

After several minutes of trial and error, Gamora decided to stick with Peter's ravager shirt. No one else is gonna know she was wearing it, right?

As she head back to her bathroom to shower, she caught the walkman sport sticking out of her canvas bag on the floor of her bunk. She hesitated for a moment, and eventually decided what the Hell? She wanted to see what the Terran hype was about this _Footloose_ music anyways. She carried the walkman and the cassette into her bathroom, leaving them on her counter as she got undressed. Just before she hopped in the shower, she turned on the walkman and allowed her thoughts to be drowned up by this Kenny Loggins guy.

She stayed in the shower much longer than usual, actually enjoying the music this walkman was producing. To be honest, she'd appreciated all the music Peter had shared with the team, but at least when she was alone in the shower, she didn't have to pretend. She actually found herself humming along the tune as she washed the stress of the day off her body.

After awhile, she got out of the shower and put on Peter's sweat shirt and a pair of pajama shorts. She had the music still blasting from the small walkman as she noticed the portable DVD player and Footloose DVD. She turned off the walkman and headed over to her bunk and grabbed the DVD and player, heading into the common area of the Milano. She got it set up and went into the kitchen, grabbing a six pack of Harokin beer Rocket had bought for her yesterday in Knowhere's marketplace.

It was when she opened the fridge door when Gamora realized she wasn't alone. There was a large figure standing in the shadows of the next room. She noticed whoever it was out of the corner of her eye, and saw one of Drax's throwing knives in the fridge, for whatever reason. She reached in and put the six pack on the counter behind her, grabbing the knife slowly after. She quickly slammed the fridge door shut, throwing the knife skillfully at the figure.

They jumped out of the way just in time, gasping at the flying knife.

"Jesus Gamora!" The figure shouted.

She blinked several times in the next room's darkness. "Peter?" She hissed.

He stepped into view under the kitchen's light, smirking sheepishly as he handed her Drax's throwing knife. "I see he still keeps a throwing knife next to the butter," he said with a hoarse chuckle.

Gamora, however, wasn't amused. "You're back," she stated, emotionless in expression and tone.

He tilted his head at her, "Yeah uh, I saw your video call from the transmitter in the pod."

She dropped her head, suddenly embarrassed. "Oh, you saw that."

He nodded, "Look Gamora, I was just upset about Yondu and Ego and my mouth-"

Gamora cut him off, "Peter, I understand that, I really do, but you left us," she took a deep breath, running her hands through her hair as her emotions started to seep into her voice.

He nodded again, guilt flickering through his expression. "I know I left everybody, I just needed to-"  
"We all took a hit after the stuff on Ego, but none of us left the family." Her voice was getting shaky, she was losing control of her emotions. Rocket was right, she was feeling betrayed. "Peter, I wanted to be there for you. I pushed down my shit with Nebula to be there for you." She ran her hands through her hair, picking up the walkman and cassette she had placed on the kitchen counter when she got her beer, shoving it in Peter's chest. "I even got you this walkman and new cassettes from that stupid movie."

Peter stumbled back a little bit at the force of her anger. Once he balanced himself, he looked down sadly at the walkman she had found for him, guilt taking over.

Gamora still wasn't done, upon seeing Peter was when she realized how hurt she actually was, and she was losing control.

Peter opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off once more. "I even found that fucking DVD for you, Peter. But I came back and you were gone."

"You did that?" Peter said, his voice was small, dumbfounded.

"Yes, and you left me anyways." She froze at her words, "Us, I meant us."

Peter nodded slowly, his eyes looking misty. "Gamora, I am so sorry."

She looked down, suddenly feeling embarrassed for the outburst. "It's fine."

He shook his head, taking a couple steps forward, putting his hands on the sides of her face. "It's not fine. Look, I'm so sorry." Peter murmured as he held the sides of her face in his hands, stroking her cheeks.

"You did all this for me, and I left like an asshole. I'm so so sorry."

She looked up at him, feeling a large mix of emotions. She realized how relieved she was that his eyes were clear again, no traces of Ego's expansion within them anymore. She quickly remembered how terrified she was of losing him in those moments on Ego's planet. She put her hands on his chest and the side of his face, rubbing a few stray tears away that were running down his face.

"Peter, I just was so afraid you wouldn't come out of there alive. When I got home yesterday and you were gone, I just felt-"

Peter pulled her to him, kissing the crown of her head in an attempt to pacify her anxiety. "I will never do that again."

She nodded into his chest, pulling away for a moment to look into his eyes once more. She noticed in that moment the look in his eyes. It was always there when he looked at her, she just failed to noticed. She stood on her tiptoes, pressing her lips to his gently.

It was quick, but said everything that was left to say in that moment.

They both stood there for a few, silent moments after. They were staring at each other, taking in what had just happened. Even though they had both briefly touched on their unspoken thing, it hadn't been addressed since Yondu's funeral. In fact, they had barely spoken or seen one another since. She could tell by Peter's expression that he was not expecting the kiss, but neither was she. She wasn't sure what to do next, but then she remembered the movie.

"I, uh," she hesitated, "I bought Footloose. With Kevin Bacon."

Peter nodded slowly, "Uh, yeah, so you uh, so you said."

She took his hand in hers, "I've never seen a movie from Terra, can you watch it with me?"

He smirked at her, grabbing the beer that had long since been forgotten as she led him into the common area, "Well, Mora, you're in for a pleasant surprise."

 **So I'm not sure if this should be the last chapter. Let me know what you guys think. Should I finish here or add another chapter or two?**


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